Gripping means for binding materials

ABSTRACT

In a package-binding machine, a feed-drive device comprises an endless belt arranged to run on a plurality of pulleys or rollers, and guide means to pass binding material in running engagement between the belt and the surface of one of the pulleys or rollers, whereby a tension applied to the belt acts to grip binding material between the belt and the pulley or roller, and operation of drive means causes lengthwise feeding movement of the binding material.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Derick A. Sparks Woodley, near Reading, England [211 App]. No. 753,240 [22] Filed Aug. 16, 1968 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [73] Assignee Power Industries Limited Maidenhead, England [54] GRIPPING MEANS FOR BINDING MATERIALS 2 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

52 use: 226/171, 198/208, 226/195 [51] Int. Cl B65h 17/24 [50] Field of Search 226/171, 195; 198/208 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,115 11/1910 Bard 198/208UX 1,955,813 4/1934 Klappenecker 226/171UX 2,048,754 7/1936 Putnam 226/171 2,297,573 9/1942 Macdonald. 198/208X 2,658,751 11/1953 .laeschke 226/195UX 3,066,789 12/1962 Schmeck 198/208 3,257,515 6/1966 Nakamatsu 226/49X Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Attorney-Scrivener, Parker, Scrivener and Clarke GRIPPING MEANS FOR BINDING MATERIALS This invention relates to an improved package-binding machine incorporating a device for feeding and tensioning binding materials and particularly though not exclusively to a package-binding machine incorporating a device for feeding and tensioning tapes and strips of synthetic material such as polypropylene and nylon during package-binding operations. Particularly with materials such as nylon and polypropylene conventional gripping and tensioning methods are unsatisfactory since although these materials have sufficient tensile strengths to render them suitable for use in package binding, strips of these materials under tension are very easily split, torn or severed by sharp edges or serrations such as are normally present on the surfaces of conventional gripping means suitable for use with steel-strip binding material.

According to the invention we now propose a packagebinding machine including a feed-drive device for feeding and tensioning elongated package-binding material, said feed drive device comprising an endless belt arranged to run on a plurality of pulleys or rollers, guide means arranged to pass binding material in running engagement between the belt and the surface of one of said pulleys or rollers, means for tensioning said belt and drive means for said belt, the arrangement being such that a tension applied to said belt acts to grip the binding material between the cooperating surfaces of the belt and said one pulley or roller, and operation of said drive means causes lengthwise feeding movement of the binding material.

The pulleys are preferably so arranged that the binding material and belt run in contact with one of them through an arc of substantially 180 of the periphery.

Preferably the drive means comprises reversible driving means coupled to one of the pulleys or rollers whereby binding material can be fed in the forward or reverse directions as required.

By providing the package-binding machine with a feed drive and tensioning device for binding material, the functions of forward feed to form a loop of binding material around a package to be bound, reverse feed to tighten the binding loop onto the package and tensioning to maintain the binding material taut until the binding loop has been sealed can be accomplished.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which is a side elevation of a feed-drive mechanism for a package-binding machine.

The package-binding machine illustrated will not herein be described in detail except as it relates to the present invention.

The package-binding machine shown comprises a framework on which is carried a feed-drive mechanism indicated at 11, a loop-forming guide 12, a holding gripper 13, a seal-feed arrangement 14, a nose plate and a sealing-head device 16.

In operation binding material, suitably polypropylene tape, is drawn from a supply reel (not shown) through the feeddrive mechanism 11, and fed across the nose plate 15 through a metal seal (not shown) carried in the seal-feed arrangement 14, through the guide 12 to form a loop, through the gripper l3 and once more through the metal seal to a stop. The gripper 13 is then closed to hold one end of the loop of binding material, and the feed-drive mechanism is reversed to retract the binding material and draw the loop onto a package to be bound. The loop of binding material is then tensioned about the package and the sealing head 16 operated to crimp the seal thus joining the overlapping ends of the loop. A knife 17 is operated to sever the sealed loop from the material supply. The operation of the machine in the stages detailed above can be controlled in an automatic or semiautomatic sequence by a suitable electropneumatic or other control system.

The feed-drive mechanism comprises a mounting plate 18 secured to the framework 10, and rotatably mounted thereon a driving pulley 19 coupled to be driven from a reversible electric motor 20 through a reduction gear box 21. Also rotatably carried on the mounting plate 18 are a pair of idler pulleys 22 and a feed-drive pulley 23. As shown a flexible driving belt 24 passes around all the pulleys and the pulleys 22, 23 are so disposed that the belt 24 engages the periphery of the pulley 23 over a large are of substantially 280.

A pair of jockey pulleys 25 each rotatably mounted on an arm 26 pivoted on the plate 18 engage with the runs of the belt 24 between the pulleys 22 and 19. The arms 26 are interconnected by screw adjusters 27 to the ends of a tension spring 28 which provides the force applying the pulleys 25 to the belt 24. The belt tension can therefore be adjusted by means of the screw adjusters 27.

A guide track 29 is provided to guide binding material from a supply reel around the lower pulley 22 and into the nip" between the belt 24 and the pulley 23. A second guide track 30 is provided to guide the binding material from the pulley 23 upwards through the nose plate 15 to the loop-forming guide 12-.

The belt 24 can be driven in either direction of movement by the electric motor 20 through the gearbox 21 and driving pulley 19 to advance or retract the binding material as required. In operation the belt is first driven in the forward direction to feed the binding material around the guide 12 to form a loop around a package to be bound, the overlapping ends of the loop both passing through a metal seal held in the. nose plate. The feed drive is then reversed and the loop is drawn from the guide 12 onto the package and tensioned. As the tension in the binding material is increased the motor 20 is brought to a stop and a brake 31 applied to maintain the tension. The sealing-head device 16 is then operated to crimp the seal, thus joining together the overlapping ends of the loop, and the knife 17 actuated to sever this loop from the binding material supply.

In an alternative feed drive mechanism not illustrated, similar arrangement of idler pulleys, feed-drive pulley and belt is provided mounted on a plate, the driving pulley being rotatably mounted on a fixed axis and as before being coupled to a reversible electric motor.

The plate is pivotally mounted on an axis normal to its plane and parallel to but displaced from the fixed axis of the driving pulley so that the plane containing the feed drive pulley axis and the driving pulley axis is approximately normal to the plane containing the plate pivot axis and the driving pulley axis. lt will be appreciated that the spacing between the idler and feed-drive pulleys, and the driving pulley can be varied on pivotal movement of the plate and since these pulleys are interconnected by the belt such pivotal movement produces an increase or decrease in the belt tension. A pneumatic cylinder has a piston rod pivotally connected to a swivel pin on the plate, the piston rod being parallel to the plane of the plate and lying approximately normal the line joining the plate pivot axis and the swivel pin. The pneumatic cylinder is arranged to pivot the plate from a feed drive position occupied when the belt is driven in the forward direction to a tensioning position occupied when the belt is driven in the reverse direction the arrangement being such that in the latter position the belt tension is increased.

The reverse feed of the belt may be halted by frictional engagement between the binding strip and the belt while the electric motor continues to rotate the driving pulley which slips with respect to the belt. However, we prefer to provide means responsive to the binding strip tension to deenergize the motor and maintain the strip under tension when this tension reaches the required value.

In yet another embodiment similar to that illustrated the belt runs as before on a driving pulley, two idler pulleys and a feed-drive pulley and driving pulley being connected to an electric motor and the binding material being gripped between the belt and the feed pulley. The pulleys are rotatably mounted in mutually fixed spacial relationship on a common carrier plate and the belt is tensioned by a jockey pulley which engages the run of the belt between the driving pulley and one of the idler pulleys. The jockey pulley is carried on a link pivoted on the carrier plate and is resiliently urged into engagement with the-belt, for example by spring means, and can be adjusted to vary the tension of the belt.

Brake means are provided to grip the belt and hold it stationary with the binding material under tension and comprise an arm pivoted at one end of the carrier plate and provided with an arcuate brakeshoe. The fee end of the arm is pivotally connected to the piston rod of an air cylinder which can be actuated to apply no release the brake by pivoting the brake arm. In the brake-applied position the brakeshoe engages the belt against one of the idler pulleys.

The carrier plate is pivoted about the axis of the driving pul ley and is urged in one direction against an abutment by adjustable resilient means. The carrier plate carries an adjustable detent which on pivotal movement of this plate away from the abutment operates a limit switch which acts to apply the brake and deenergize the'electric motor.

in operation, with the brake released and the carrier plate against its abutment the driving pulley is driven in the forward direction to feed a continuous strip of binding material past the feed pulley. The binding material is looped around a package to be bound and the driving pulley is driven in'the reverse direction to-draw the loop onto the package. When the tension in the binding material reaches a predetermined value the force of the adjustable resilient means which resist pivotal movement of the carrier plate is overcome and the carrier plate pivots away from the fixed abutment. The detent on the carrier plate operates the limit switch which acts to deenergize the electric motor and apply the brake so that the binding strip is maintained under tension while the ends of the loop are sealed.

lclaim:

1. In a package-binding machine including a feed-drive device for effecting and tensioning elongated binding material, said feed-drive device comprises a mounting plate, a plurality of pulleys mounted on said plate for rotation about spaced parallel relatively fixed axes, the axis of rotation of at least one of the said pulleys being offset to one side of the plane containing the axes of rotation of an adjacent pair of pulleys between which the said one pulley is disposed, an endless belt trained around the said pulleys, reversible drive means for driving said'belt in forward and reverse directions around said pulleys, means for tensioning said belt comprising a pair of pivoted arms,jockey rollers engaging separate runs of said belt and carried on said pivoted arms, and a tension spring arranged with opposite ends connected to said arms to provide a force applying said jockey rollers to said belt, and guide means for guiding binding material between said belt and said one pulley the arrangement being such that tension applied to said belt acts to grip the binding material between cooperating surfaces of said one pulley, and operation of said drive means causes lengthwise feeding movement of said binding material in one direction.

2. A package-binding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein opposite ends of said tension springs are connected to said respective pivoted arms through screwed adjuster means. 

1. In a package-binding machine including a feed-drive device for effecting and tensioning elongated binding material, said feed-drive device comprises a mounting plate, a plurality of pulleys mounted on said plate for rotation about spaced parallel relatively fixed axes, the axis of rotation of at least one of the said pulleys being offset to one side of the plane containing the axes of rotation of an adjacent pair of pulleys between which the said one pulley is disposed, an endless belt trained around the said pulleys, reversible drive means for driving said belt in forward and reverse directions around said pulleys, means for tensioning said belt comprising a pair of pivoted arms, jockey rollers engaging separate runs of said belt and carried on said pivotEd arms, and a tension spring arranged with opposite ends connected to said arms to provide a force applying said jockey rollers to said belt, and guide means for guiding binding material between said belt and said one pulley the arrangement being such that tension applied to said belt acts to grip the binding material between cooperating surfaces of said one pulley, and operation of said drive means causes lengthwise feeding movement of said binding material in one direction.
 2. A package-binding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein opposite ends of said tension springs are connected to said respective pivoted arms through screwed adjuster means. 